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Ascanelli set for F1 return, not with Ferrari – report

Giorgio Ascanelli, the well-known F1 engineer who last year left his post as Toro Rosso’s technical director, is set to return to the sport.

But Autosprint, the Italian magazine, played down reports the 53-year-old Italian has decided to go back to Ferrari. Ascanelli began his career at Ferrari in the mid 80s, and was Gerhard Berger’s engineer. He moved to Benetton and McLaren, at the latter team working alongside the great Ayrton Senna.

Ascanelli returned to Ferrari in 1995, staying until 2001. It is known he is very good friends with the team’s new technical boss, Pat Fry, and Autosprint said he recently met with the Briton.

“But he will not go (back) to Ferrari,” said correspondent Alberto Antonini.

“(But) Ascanelli is about to return to F1; the team’s name is not yet known,” he added.

Autosprint said Ascanelli left Toro Rosso, who replaced him with James Key, “after an argument” with team boss Franz Tost.